Sherlock Holmes ***

This is not your father's "Sherlock Holmes." The new Sherlock, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character, with Jude Law as his friend and partner Dr. Watson, bursts on the scene not just as a neatness challenged, keenly observant, and incredibly intelligent detective, but as the muscular, brawling action hero heir to a raft of James Bond and comic book character action movies. Throw in a woman in love with Holmes (Rachel McAdams) who is not only smart, but who can steal, fight, and shoot as well as the men, and you've got a thoroughly modern Hollywood formula set in Victorian London. For me, it's a guilty pleasure two hour escape, and a lot of fun.

The plot Holmes must defeat is similarly exotic, involving black magic at the highest levels of government and ingenious gadgets in service of a scheme for world domination. I told you it wasn't your father's, or even Conan Doyle's, Sherlock Holmes. The action scenes are well done, the special effects creating circa 1870's London are superb, and the quick flash-back sequences visually explaining how Holmes reached his conclusions are economical and effective. I enjoyed the movie, and would love to see the sequel that is sure to follow.

Rated PG-13. 128 minutes. Guy Ritchie - Director, Michael Robert Johnson - Writer (screenplay) (screen story), Anthony Peckham - Writer (screenplay), Simon Kinberg - Writer (screenplay), Lionel Wigram - Writer (screen story) / Producer, Arthur Conan Doyle - Writer (characters Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson), Susan Downey - Producer, Dan Lin - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, PHilippe Rousselot - Cinemmatographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer, James Herbert - Editor.

Principle actors: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, and Kelly Reilly.